


october ninth

by golden_tragedy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Other, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Romance, Platonic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_tragedy/pseuds/golden_tragedy
Summary: “What moment in history belonged to you?”“October ninth. Because it was always perpetually blue skies and sunshine and sitting on the floor in front of your dad’s record player watching movies and eating ramen.”I find myself smiling.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	october ninth

“What moment in history belonged to you?” 

She is just texting me, a sporadic conversation before school, but I can see her in front of me, smile fading and brown eyes earnest behind her glasses. She is waiting for my answer, chin propped on her hand as I shake my head with a smile and lie on the grass to stare at the sky. 

“October ninth. And the day I beat everyone in the 400m relay.”

It is the answer she’s looking for, I can tell. It takes a few minutes for my phone to show that she is typing again. 

“You know how in Miss Peregrine’s, they all live in a separate time loop?”

I do know. I’m the one who lent her the book. But I don’t answer, because she is typing again. 

“I think that’s what October ninth felt like-like there were wars going on is Syria and I had just given my finals, and huh will Ines text me back and should I lose weight? But none of that mattered at all.” 

“Because it was always perpetually blue skies and sunshine and sitting on the floor in front of your dad’s record player watching movies and eating ramen.” 

I find myself smiling. 

On October ninth, my best friend came straight to my house from school. It was a Friday. It was the first time we had properly seen each other, since she was so busy with her exams. The car ride was pleasant. We had the windows down, and she was right-the skies were exceptionally blue, the sun was golden as it filtered through the treetops and onto our faces. 

We put the ramen to boil in the kitchen, and she accompanied me to my room. It had recently been renovated from a child’s room to one that suited a sixteen year olds. 

Summer sixteen, we called it. 

As she took it in, I stripped of my uniform and into my clothes-far too fancy for lounging around the house, but we absolutely had to do a photo shoot to commemorate the occasion. She stares at me in disbelief as I put my heels on, and was finally taller than her, if only by a few inches. 

I put my arm on her head, an inside joke we had carried for four years and she scowled at me, huffing before she told me she was hungry. 

We ate our ramen on the carpeted floor of my lounge, my dad’s record player in front of us, and Mamma Mia playing on the TV. It was tradition to watch that movie. 

‘Donna is our spirit animal,’ she said as Donna in question launched into a song about money. 

I smiled at her, and I remembered vaguely that we were supposed to be six feet apart and that my mother was right there, but it didn’t matter as I held out my hand, and she entwined her long fingers in mine and I put my head on her shoulder. Her palm was warm, and she was steady and solid and here, not staring at me from the other end of a screen. Then we switched positions, and I remember watching her and not Sophie. I remember as she fell asleep for a few seconds, face softening. 

She woke up and went to get fourth helpings and naturally, I did too. We ate until the large pot was empty, then we walked outside to my lawn. I live practically in the middle of nowhere, so my lawn is quite large. She says that we should take the pictures on the slope, where the sun is casting golden pink rays. 

And we do. My head is in her lap, both of us holding hands and laughing. Her catching me as I trip in my heels. We even did the titanic pose. And then she pulled me down onto the swing with her, put her arm around my shoulders and started to whisper in my ear. I don’t remember what she said now, but then it made me laugh. The day seemed to be lingering on that golden pinkish tinge longer than it usually did. 

As if it too, felt as infinite as we did in that moment. 

And then we went back inside, hand in hand. 

My phone buzzes with another text. 

“And when it did get dark, I wasn’t tired or anxious or bored not one bit because you were by my side”

We were back in my room, and I changed out of my uncomfortably tight pants into my pyjamas before going and sprawling on my bed, knocking the cushions off. She joined me, grinning as she took in my pyjamas, teal-with snowflakes and pink stars on them. 

“You are an actual child.” 

And then somehow, she was lying on top of me, stroking my hair. My heart was racing, my door wasn’t locked and if my mother walked in-she out her head on my chest, and my hand found it’s way into her hair and my unlocked door was suddenly the last thing on my mind. 

We stayed like that for a while. 

“Charli?” She said quietly, voice low “I love you”

“I love you too,” I say, a little stunned, because now she is raining kisses on my face, soft and sweet and steady. I squirm in pleasure, and a little bit of anxiety-because someone will walk in. We lay like that for a while. Her expression is clouded, thoughtful. And yet completely at peace. 

“Get on top of me,” she says, lifting her weight 

“What?”

I damn near physically recoil. 

“Get on top of me,” she says again, shifting off of me. I take the chance to get up and lock the door before I climb on top of her, settling down with an awkward smile. She rolls her eyes and her fingers come to wind in my hair again. 

And even though we are so close, and I could kiss her right now if I wanted to, it is platonic. She is my best friend. And as much as we joke about being married, we are not and we never will be. And I am okay with that. 

I smile at her, and everything whirring through my brain quiets down, because I am infinite. Not in the way that gods are, loud and flashy and untouchable. Infinite in the way that nature is, quiet and calm and steady and everlasting. It is enough. 

I am enough.


End file.
